Daniel 4:5-9

5 "I saw a 1dream and it made me fearful; and these fantasies as I lay on my bed and the 2visions in my mind kept alarming me.
6 "So I gave orders to 3bring into my presence all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
7 "Then the 4magicians, the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners came in and I related the dream to them, but they could not make its 5interpretation known to me.
8 "But finally Daniel came in before me, whose name is 6Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is 7a spirit of the holy gods; and I related the dream to him, saying,
9 'O Belteshazzar, 8chief of the magicians, since I know that 9a spirit of the holy gods is in you and 10no * mystery baffles you, 11tell me the visions of my dream which I have seen, along with its interpretation.

Daniel 4:5-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 4

This chapter was written by Nebuchadnezzar himself; and was either taken out of his archives, or given by him to Daniel, who under divine inspiration inserted it into this work of his; and a very useful instruction it contains, showing the sovereignty of God over the greatest kings and potentates of the earth, and this acknowledged by one of the proudest monarchs that ever lived upon it. It begins with a preface, saluting all nations, and declaring the greatness and power of God, Da 4:1-3 then follows the narrative of a dream the king dreamed, which troubled him; upon which he called for his wise men to interpret it, but in vain; at length he told it to Daniel, Da 4:4-9: the dream itself; which being told, astonished Daniel, the king being so much interested in it, Da 4:10-19, the interpretation of it, with Daniel's advice upon it, is in Da 4:20-27 the fulfilment of it, time and occasion thereof, Da 4:28-33. Nebuchadnezzar's restoration to his reason and kingdom, for which he praises God, Da 4:34-37.

Cross References 11

  • 1. Daniel 2:3
  • 2. Daniel 2:1, 28; Daniel 4:10, 13
  • 3. Genesis 41:8; Daniel 2:2
  • 4. Genesis 41:8; Daniel 2:10, 27; Daniel 5:7
  • 5. Isaiah 44:25; Jeremiah 27:9, 10; Daniel 2:7
  • 6. Daniel 1:7; Daniel 2:26; Daniel 5:12
  • 7. Daniel 4:9, 18; Daniel 5:11, 14
  • 8. Daniel 1:20; Daniel 2:48; Daniel 5:11
  • 9. Genesis 41:38; Daniel 4:8
  • 10. Ezekiel 28:3; Daniel 2:47
  • 11. Genesis 41:15; Daniel 2:4, 5

Footnotes 6

  • [a]. Lit "of my head"
  • [b]. Or "soothsayer priests," and so throughout the ch
  • [c]. Or "master astrologers"
  • [d]. Lit "before"
  • [e]. Or possibly "the Spirit of the holy God," and so throughout the ch
  • [f]. Lit "before"
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.